I'd like something that can mostly be pre-prepared (so as I can enjoy it) but at the same time is quite fab. No-one will be under 16 years old. Please help me out foodies.
uli,
Oct 28, 12:57am
Is this a sit down at the table together menu, or a grab yourself something from the buffet menu, or an outdoors informal picnic menu at the beach or lake?
What do you want to have included? Meat, fish, veges, fruit, desserts, baking, drinks?
Warm food or cold or mixed?
duckmoon,
Oct 28, 1:06am
ham - off the bone... roast veges - plus cold salads...
A pudding you can make the night before - I like Nigella Lawson's chocolate cherry trifle (google is your friend)
duckmoon,
Oct 28, 1:07am
How many courses?
timetable,
Oct 28, 2:13am
anti pasta platter, fruit platters, plenty of dips and spreads, nibble food...cold meats etc - finger food so that everyone can nibble and pick bits of this and that and then all back into the fridge no hass....
uli,
Oct 28, 2:14am
Not sure if that is classed as "fab" LOL :)
duckmoon,
Oct 28, 3:36am
the antipasto is always popular as for pre-dinner at our Christmas...
I love making an antipasto platter, but mostly it is about pulling things out of the fridge. the down side is that you will need to go to the shops on Christmas Eve (or the day before)
martine5,
Oct 28, 4:13am
which reminds me of another nigella trifle (she is really keen on them) and its largely sponge, green gingerwine and cream which has passionfruit pulp through it .I've made it very simple, very deilicous too.
timetable,
Oct 28, 2:04pm
duck i got around the whole having to shop at the last min thing buy keeping an eye out for the specials and then stocking up - like the olives, pickled onions, gerkins, a lot of the cold meat stuff can be brought ahead of time and frozen, cream cheese for spreads usually has a month use by date on and so do alot of cheeses, also crusteenies can be made a few days before but you can buy the french stick and freeze that early too... chargrilled capsicans etc you can now get alot of this in glass jars at the supermarket so they can be stored ahead of time also....maybe just the fresh fruit a day or two before.... we also do garlic prawns on ours and i make my own pate, so the prawns and the chicken livers are brought on special and again - thank you Lord for the freezer!!blessings all...
cornwall3,
Oct 28, 5:50pm
Ah ... you have given me ideas already. Yes, I can do the platters of antipasti no problemo. That sounds like 'us' to me. A nice idea for nibbly stuff. thanks for the heads up Timetable and duckmoon. We will be sitting down (at least the elderly), inside and on the adjoining deck if the weather behaves. I would like main and dessert ideas. Salads are a given. The meat defies me ... a ham and what else??? I am OK at baking fab cakes, so that for dessert and fruit but what other dessert? I am not sure that the trifle will do it (all that whipped cream and custard) ... or are there other ways to do a trifle? (no, I haven't been to friend google yet. I'd like a few more ideas please ... thanks heaps!
elliehen,
Oct 28, 6:50pm
More desserts?What about brandy snap baskets or meringue nests with fresh berries and cream?
darlingmole,
Oct 28, 9:32pm
You could make some mini stuffings ... apple and lemon thyme stuffing balls wrapped in bacon, roasted in the oven or else mince meat, sausage meat and orange with herbs stuffing.I ALWAYS have turkey on Christmas day or eve, cooked in an oven bag with freshly squeezed orange juice all over it, put another peeled orange in the cavity, pepper/salt/mixed herbs and cook for about 3 hours and break into pieces/chunks and have wonderful compliments from people who've always hated turkey before!!You mentioned you like baking well I have a cool recipe for White Chocolate and Ginger Cheesecake with cranberry sauce if you'd like it because it can be frozen for up to a month!You could also make those blini things (tiny pikelets) and top with whatever (salmon, sun dried tomatoes, gherkins and cream cheese mmm!)How about making up some dips?Beetroot n sourcream
lizab,
Oct 28, 9:35pm
you could bake or poach a whole salmon and serve it cold - that's definitely a Christmas treat in our house!! And I'm sorry, but it wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas pudding and brandy sauce!!!! :)
bo0tsey,
Oct 28, 9:39pm
MMMMmmmmm I love the recipe thread!
What about truffles as a dessert? A bit fiddly to make (search the database on the left) my favs are with chocolate thins and condensed milk
Mine always get rave reviews!
timetable,
Oct 29, 1:40am
you could do chook or turkey or hogget - lamb will be deadly in price this year...keep an eye out at the deli section and buy whats on special and frezze -if its around the $1 - $1.20 mark per 100gm's then that's not too bad and you could get a lovely selection for cheaper than buying a whole chook or hogget etc... choc chippie or gingernut log is quick and easy to whip up and lovely for a lighter option - you dunk your bickie into juice (or whatever your tipple is lol) and then put down on a rectangle plate in a line - usually about 5 long, then put a layer of cream along the bikie line and then repeat with the dunking in juice and build up your line about 4 - 5 stack's high with a layer of cream between each and then cover the whole thing in cream and decorate with choc hail or thin slices of kiwi fruit.ambrosia is quick and easy also, you could do a a layer cake so that you use cream and jam instead of icing or gnash.... fruit platters really are awesome cos you can have a great quick selection - or a huge bowl of fresh fruit salad or fruit kebab's - the kids love them!strawberries and dipping choc and wipped cream, those little mini cream puffs and eclairs that you get in the frozen section, the pam's brand ones are not too expensive and taste yum...
timetable,
Oct 29, 1:42am
the other thing that you could do is make up 2 or three lollie tree's - with roses choc's, choc eclair lollies, that sort of thing...that way a coffee and choc would be a nice way to finish off - not too heavy on the tum!!
lil_angel_kel,
Oct 29, 3:32am
Im doing a roast lamb and also a roast chicken in the slow cooker.And am planning on them both cold with salads and ham.For desert you could maybe do a cheese cake - they are super easy :)
macwood2,
Oct 29, 4:04am
Darlingmole - yes please to the cheesecake, yum, yum..Sounds like me for Christmas/
timetable,
Oct 29, 2:53pm
I'm with macwood - yes please darlingmole!!!!thanks tons in advance... blessings for the day all....
darlingmole,
Oct 29, 3:06pm
G'morning all~! As requested ...
White Chocolate and Ginger Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce
1 packet gingernut biscuits smashed to crumbs 50 grams melted butter 150 g white chocolate 250 g mascarpone cheese 400 g full-fat cream cheese 4 med eggs, beaten 100g caster sugar 75 g ginger, finely chopped
Line a loose bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper. Mix gingernut crumbs and melted butter and press into base.Preheat oven to 150 deg C (130 deg C fan). Melt chocolate in heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then cool slightly.In a large bowl beat mascarpone and cream cheese until smooth, then stir in eggs, sugar, fresh ginger and melted white choclate. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 1 & 1/2 hours until the cheesecake just wobbles slightly when the tin is tapped.Leave in the tin and allow to cool ona wire rack.Chill for at least 4 hours.
For the sauce ~ 175 fresh cranberries 60 g caster sugar 1 tsp ground ginger
Heat the cranberries, sugar and ginger in a pan with 100ml water, simmer for 5 mins until the cranberries burst.Blend until smooth then push through a sieve.Chill.This cheesecake can be frozen for up to a month in advance.Enjoy~! xx
timetable,
Oct 29, 4:09pm
thank you heaps darlingmole!!!this wee baby is a keeper for sure!!!blessings with your christmas prep...
mackenzie2,
Oct 29, 4:18pm
This is my menu from last christmas... Haven't done this years yet!!! Anti Pasta Platters (chiritzo, cheese's, salami, fresh vege and fruits, etc) Ham off bone with a pinapple chutney Whole smoked salmon (served cold with aoli) New baby potatos Pumpkin salad, lettuce salad, rice salad, prawn & fennel salad, strawberry, bean and feta salad. = mostly all done the night before.
Desserts = Rolled Pav's, white choc cheese cake, fresh fruit salad
Finished with coffee, port and assorted fudges and truffles
eternity04,
Oct 29, 11:50pm
Mums Chocolate Chip Logcake..yummmyyyy
I haven`t had one of these for years, but I think this year THINGS will change..I want my logcake back..lol..1-2 packets of chocolatechip biscuits (depending on how big your plate is) 1 500ml bottle of cream, about 1 cup of sherry, chocolatechip bits. Whip your cream and set aside, put some of the sherry into a dessert bowl. Put a spoonful of cream onto your plate, at one end (mum always used a long skinny plate, not sure what they are called) get a biscuit and dip it into the sherry, covering both sides. Put it into the cream, standing up, using a knife put some more cream onto the biscuit. Get another biscuit and dip it and then put in beside the other biscuit (sandwiching them together) Continue with the rest of the biscuits until you have reached the other side of your plate. Cover the log with the rest of the cream until you can`t see any of the biscuits showing. Sprinkle with the chocolatechip bits. Put into the fridge for about 2 hrs to let the flavours go through...This is not a good one for the waist
eternity04,
Oct 29, 11:51pm
For the main meal you can also have Mutton Ham, Cold Roast Chicken, Goose, Cold Sliced Silverside.
duckmoon,
Oct 30, 3:59am
personally, I would do salami and smoked salmon on the antipasto plates... so, I would just have ham (unless you are catering for a vegetarian)
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